Daily Archives: November 10, 2011

Amazon summaryJohn is worried about adapting to his new life after his mother lost her job. With the influence and inspiration from his new friend, Franklin Bean, John finds a smile on his face once again. This magical little dog, full of surprises, will keep your imagination wondering; leaving you eager to read more Franklin Bean.

My review
This is a fun read, but it’s not a fluffy book. The book addresses the economy, bullying, and change. I think this book will appeal to school-age children, mainly because the subject-matter is a little heavier than pre-schoolers are prepared to sit through.

I read it to my 3-year-old, and about 75% of the way through, he told me to stop because the talking dog scared him. (We might have had better luck had we been reading a physical book rather than an ebook. After all, Blue’s Clues books and shows are a staple in our house, and that’s certainly a talking dog. ) My ten-year-old, however, loved it, and when he read, “Keep your eye out for the next Franklin Bean adventure,” he was very excited and asked, “That means there are going to be more books, right?”

UPDATE: On Wednesday night, I tried to read the book to Bennett, and he made me stop. Saturday morning, the first thing he said when he woke up was, “I want to read the doggy story.” Um, okay. So we did, and he liked it. Kids.

As for the actual story, it’s well-written and flows well. I enjoyed reading it.

About the book
Title: Meet Franklin Bean (Volume 1)
Author: Emmy Swain (illustrated by Levi Whitworth)
Publisher: Emmy Swain
Release date: March 3, 2011
Pages: 34
Where I got the book: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review as part of Adopt An Indie Month.
Rating: 4 stars We had mixed reviews here. The 3yo didn’t like it, then he did, the 10yo loved it, and I liked it. It’s worth your time to pick it up and check it out.

“Know Me Better” is a weekly meme hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer. Each week five questions are asked as a way for your readers to get to know you better. Want to play along? It’s easy! Just click the link above to take you over to the host’s page. From there, copy and paste the meme image into your blog along with the meme code. Link back to the host and you’re done!

This week’s questions

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?An unlimited supply of books, food and water

What is one book everyone should read?Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head by Dr. Carla Hannaford. I can’t say enough good things about this book. Our bodies were not made to sit at a desk all day, either in school or in an office. We don’t function at optimal levels without daily and frequent movement.

If you could have any superpower what would you choose?To be invisible.

Harry Potter or Twilight?Well, I’m not an avid Twilight fan, but I have read all four books and seen both movies. I haven’t read any Harry Potter yet and have only seen a few minutes of one movie. So I’d have to say Twilight, just because I haven’t gotten around to reading or watching HP yet.

Gum or Breath Mints?I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m one of those uncoordinated people who constantly bites their cheeks while chewing gum. So, while I like gum, mints are safer. Spearmint, please.

Jeffrey dropped a clear Lego and said, “It’s a good thing I’ve got a sharp eye.” Bennett reached up and poked him in the eye and said, “Ouch!” When Jeffrey asked him why he was the one who said, “Ouch,” Bennett replied, “Cuz you’ve got a sharp eye.”

This is also the kid who punches his brother every time Jeffrey says, “Beats me.” I keep trying to tell Jeffrey that saying, “I don’t know” instead would be much easier than trying to explain a figure of speech to Bennett.

Jeffrey: I hope I’m rich when I grow up.Me: Me, too.Bennett: You are rich.Jeffrey: It’s different when you’re an adult. When you’re a kid, having a $100 makes you rich. When you’re adult, you have to have $1,000 to be rich.

Jeffrey, after leaving the playground where one of the Lego men was exploring the volleyball court: Lego people are so lucky to have Lego hair. If you get sand in it, you can just take your hair off.